there has been some interesting comments on facebook and other places recently about the type and quality of racing that is going on in perth and it kind of got me thinking. what are we really trying to offer and who are we trying to cater for.
generally the racing is determined by the quality and number of “a” grade riders you have attending. if more “a” grade riders turn up them the rest think that it must be worth racing, so they turn up. this is a great concept, but then there is the cyclo-sportif type model. no racing, and aimed at the participation level of the sport. this is where the numbers are so they get much better attendance.
so what does the spr membership really want???
at the end of last year we had close to 200 members and over half of these were recreational members. this means that they didn’t race, but got a licence for a bit of coverage and to belong to the club. however, since we have been putting on the crit series with the rccc, i have noticed a number of riders converting their licence over to a racing licence. this is great and exactly the pathway that we wanted to provide for people. however, not everyone wants to race.
bwa have put out details of their 3 and 5 dams ride plus their upcoming cyclo-sportif series. these types of participation events are very popular and provide a challenge to the racing and non-racing riders alike. we held out inaugural 200km challenge last year and we will hold it again this year (perhaps call it “the iconic 200km challenge”). i have been in contact with some other clubs about running our own version of a cyclo-style race open to club members only.
as you can see, we are trying to provide opportunities for people apart from the normal weekend ride. but what do you want??? let us all know by adding to the comments.
forum – we are finalising the online forum. this will allow people to post up classifieds, ask questions about training, racing or even what type of stuff to buy. we will keep you posted.
spr kit – the kit order has been finalised and it is already printed and getting sewn. too late now if you didn’t get around to order, or want to change sizes. when we open the forums on this website, we will have an area where people can put up posts about swapping sizes. the final order was for the equivalent of a $55,000 order. this is over 3 times larger than our previous biggest. after this has cleared, we will look at another order of accessories.
upcoming events – perth crits this weekend, if you want to volunteer see here. there are a few spr people racing, just not in club colours. don’t let that deter you from cheering them on. renae’s race on the 20th on the tech park circuit. this is the premier race for women in perth so come along to support it, or even better come a race it.
ride routes – earlybird ride available on both days now. only two of us turned up last sunday. one did the hills ride afterwards and the other went home to kelmscott to stop his house burning down. hopefully less eventful this weekend. they are predicting strong easterly winds again this weekend so i have planned to give the groups a nice tailwind home. however, to get a tailwind home, you need to have a headwind at the start. for the fast/main ride there is an awfully long stretch where the wind will be a howling crosswind. last time we did it, it really sucked. sunday will have the same ride route as last week. there was no long ride route due to the wind, so we all did the short course. this week, maybe the short course mix it up a bit and do kalamunda hill first, then gooseberry.
saturday 12th february
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
early lap – spr earlybird ride
all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am
development group – spr saturday 35.48km (novice shelley)
transitional 1 & 2 –spr saturday 41.73km (canning vale reverse)
fast, main 1 & 2 – spr saturday 54.03km (maddington & welshpool)
sunday 13th february
ride starts under the narrows (cityside) at 5:30am
early lap – spr earlybird ride
all rides start at coode st carpark at 7:00am
Hey Pete, could we try doing like a race training for crits ect, on a fixed circuit maybe 20mins with someone in charge that can help people that want to learn tactics, safety and racing strategy.
I think thats the best comment thats been made for a while
Zack, racing is the best training. Just man up, and pin a number on big guy :).
…but please, don’t let me stop you from riding around a car park for 20 minutes….
P.S. – isn’t what you’ve just described there essentially a D grade race??)
P.P.S. – Nathan – you’ve been giving it a good go of late too.
I personally think that is a completely wrong approach, I know for rowing we do a full month of race prep for the national championships because if you haven’t practiced something in training how are you expected to do it under pressure in a race?
who would know where to position themselves in a race? I think that stuff like safety ie positioning in a peloton, rolling through at high speed, how to sit on the wheel ect. this would be stuff that could help people in races and help people develop as riders. this is also good to help people move up from main to fast ect and it would allow them to feel confident on these rides.
Zack, you said it in the first sentence – National championships. The local club crit isn’t the nationals.
Who would know where to position themselves in a race? Get racing and find out through trial and error.
Rolling through, riding in a bunch, sitting on wheels, most definately (and most obviously) best learnt NOT in racing and are the crux of SPR weekly training rides (i thought so at least).
Oh, and if you find out where to position oneself, please let me know, as i’m still well into the ‘trial and error (much more error that success)’ phase. 🙂
yea not the best example.
but the point is, how are you supposed to do something you have never practiced it before.
I will leave it at that
Zak,
I’m with Jarrad, race more and learn from your own mistakes and those of others. Watch racing, read books (“Racing Tactics for Cyclists” by Thomas Prehn is a good read), talk to others (or bench race as they call it in motorcycling). And as the old saying goes, train hard, race smart.
The one thing that would be valuable about a training session is developing bike handling skills, particularly for crit racing which are typically run on technical circuits like tech park.
Good point Peter, it is not only about the licensed racers. One of the great hallmark of SPR as a club is that it is inclusive of moderate and aspirational cyclists. It’s a sociable club with many members who want to ride but would like to see organized rides be inexpensive, accessible and a challenge to their personal fitness level. The popularity of this is born out by the exponential growth in our membership. Cycle events targeting this group will be a big part of the future growth of cycling in WA and SPR is well positioned to be part of that.
I’m keen to join on this saturday’s early bird ride. taxi-ing the girlfriend to her ju-jitsu class means i can’t make the 7am ride.
i’ve been keeping up to date with the SPR activities on the site since getting back on the road bike and would be keen on joining a few different rides and then getting an SPR membership.
i did join in on several group rides from Cycle Inn and did the Tech Park crit a few times, like a decade ago when I was 20kg lighter! haha…
see whoever makes it, 5.30 under the narrows then.
Alistair.
ps. i’ll be on a white Soma Smoothie.
I joined SPR becuase I wanted to know how to ride in a group properly and am happy riding with the t2’s for the moment. I feel safe and it’s helping me with battling the anxiety of drafting, speed etc.
After trying a WCMCC E grade crit, I know I need to keep cycling with a group to build the confidence in order to try another one. The same thing for trying track.
I’ve never really been into roadie stuff-I ride a road bike when I don’t have time or can’t be bothered going to the hills etc for some dirt. I think the road racing licence is way way way expensive & am not out to become the next Jeannie Luongo anyways. I am not a true roadie & don’t understand the culture. I must be the only one that doesn’t watch the TDF…!
I know i’m bad for not riding w the T2’s for a few weeks but after an Open water swim disaster @ the Busso Jetty Swim last weekend, i’m doing one this weekend!
I have ridden on the LifeCycle WA ride to Busselton a couple of times. It’s a 3 day charity ride that raises money for CanTeen (last year they raised $130,000). It’s a fantastic event that is really well organised. There’s 5 riding levels that each do different length rides for the day, so it caters for people of all abilities, and it’s fully supported so you load your gear into the trucks at the beginning of the day and unpack when you get to the over night stop. Food is provided (most of it comes from sponsors). In addition to helping out a great cause, it’s a fantastic weekend on the bike. They have to cap the numbers at about 120 riders, and they generally sell out all the spots within the first few weeks after tickets go on sale.
Now, something like this takes an enormous amount of organisation, so I’m not necessarily suggesting that we try and replicate the event, but I bet there’s a lot of people that would go on a multi-day “participation” style event if it was fully supported, and of course, safe. It doesn’t have to raise money for charity, and it certainly wouldn’t be free, but I think it would definitely raise the profile of the club, and also provide “non-racers” with a fun event that they could take part in.
Just an idea at any rate. (And if something like this was ever attempted, I’m happy to put my hand up to help organise it 🙂 )
Zach i have to say im with Jarred on this one. Pull up those big boy socks and get into d grade. Bearing in mind im still to do my first race. Ive only been road cycling 2 months and found alreadyim learning where to position myself (not to get dropped when a split comes as the pace picks up), sussing out whose wheel to follow on the sprints etc. Im no where near as good as mos of the main 1 and 2’s but have sneakely got a 2nd in the spritns just from getting on the right persons wheel. When i get the wrong persons or fail to get it, im about 1km back down the road. I love the spr group as there is always a sweeper to help me when im strugglign falling off the back, but then 20km’s later for the sprint i am fine and ready to compete, sometimes doing ok and sometime sgetting cained… As with all sports nothing like being “match fit”, all the training in the world cant help you for competing.
Having said that, Zachs counter arguement is pretty convincing. For many its not about doing lots of races. Some may just want todo one in their life to say they have done it and for these practice, for confidence abive all would help. Maybe more emphises can be put on a sat rides, where there are a few organised sprints with a lead off etc…. or work done to pull back break aways etc…. Not sure how easy that would be to administer but def as the t1’s and 2’s develop their skills this may be something that interest them…..
My 2 cents worth: I do not ever want to do crit racing.
I do like a challenge though, and i really liked doing the cyclo-sportif events. I’d also like to do the 3/5 dams. It would be great if there were SPR teams that were easy to join up with. Personally i also like riding in a team that has better (faster/more experienced) riders than myself, it really helps to make you push yourself and step it up a level.
I think one reason why i like the more participation style “racing” is because there are less corners. So i’d like SPR to have something (no idea how it would work) where i could learn and practice cornering. Yes i talk to people and i try to practice during the group rides etc, but there has to be other more efficient/safer ways?
I know we have KOM points and sprint sections, but maybe we could have a time-trial “race” (e teams and/or individual)? Seems there would be less chance of breaking a bone or two than crits but still a good way to see how you are traveling personally and within the group?
Having seen all of the comments above, i appreciate that there are lots of races/time trials etc being held around the place, and for those who are somewhat more serious about their racing, “manning up” maybe an option. For those of us that are substantially more timid, i like riding with SPR, i feel safe and i get to push myself in an environment and with people that i trust. The more options that SPR can offer i think the more events/challenges i would find myself signing up for.
@Meg Not only do you like pushing yourself, but you like getting “Pushed” by the SPR members. Just remember that a flat hand is a push a cupped hand is a …………
One thing I have just learnt about cornering is that it is like skiing, you turn your hips into the corner and use them to get you around. I have been practicing this and it really makes a difference.
More here….
http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2009/10/cornering-tips/
Back when I was a stropping young lad, there was a weekly time trial on Sunday mornings of 6, 13 or 16km (alternating each week) along Mounts Bay Rd, and up towards Christ Church.
Club organised simple timing, a proper starting point outside St Georges College (bus stop) and everyone had a go against their own ability, with a leader board.
Gave you a sense of your ability against the clock on a consistent and traffic light free circuit, for a few different styles of TT.
Awesome idea!!!!!
we would need two leaders boards though, one for TT bikes and one for road bikes
I’d better give credit to the 1986 UWA Cycle Club where credit is due
(I’m not that old. I was still at school)
Points were given for 1st – 10th so variables like wind, rain were not factors on overall scores.
Andrew, you are so very 1986 – those “supplements” you’ve been taking sure make you look young. But I do like what you’re proposing.
Zac, nothing makes you learn faster than doing it. Like the pros say, racing is the best training. Not sure how the lower-grade crits here are done (liked to do one here but dates so far haven’t suited me). My first one I did (in Melbourne) in D-grade had a few chaperones from A-grade. They’d give tips on race lines, cornering, where to place yourself etc during the “race”. If you fall off the back of the peloton, they might give you a bit of a push to get back on etc. And if you do something dangerous, or overtake on the inside of the corner, they’ll come up and yell at you!
agree with zac, andrew’s idea sounds awesome! i would totally be up for it, if we could organise it.
most races (or placings) involve a sprint….and yet we only ever sprint a couple of times per training ride, in a manner that generally favours a chosen few. Truth is novice riders dont really get the chance to experiment with and get to know the different sprints that will conclude a race.
A club I rode with, (last century) had a straight piece of road with 400metres marked out in 100 metre intervals. Every wednesday morning we would practice ‘sprinting’.
Riders would pair up with someone of equal ability, and (like on the track) a rider would lead off and initiate a sprint, with the other rider holding the wheel and attempting to come by. This would be repeated over 100, 200, 300 & 400 metres.
Good way to learn what sprint you are best at (long – short) and obviously gain confidence through repeated efforts.
I luv my spr club training rides but have never had any desire to race – too aggressive for my non-competitive, delicate (and lets be honest, downright scared) nature …. I find participating in cyclo sportifs way more appealing since you generally know who you are riding with, & I know there are plenty in the club who prefer this type of challenge to racing. so I reckon it would be fab if leisure members could get more out of their membership via the organisation of participation events for them. Cyclo sportifs are great fun but hugely overpriced for what they provide.
release your inner rage